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Super Friends (1973 TV series)
| genre = Action Adventure Science fiction | creator = E. Nelson Bridwell Carmine Infantino Julius Schwartz (consultants) | writer = Jack Cole Gardner Fox Mort Weisinger | director = Charles A. Nichols | creative_director = Iwao Takamoto | developer = | presenter = | starring = | voices = Sherry Alberoni Faye Dunaway Harrison Ford Ted Knight Malcolm McDowell Sam Neil Olan Soule John Stephenson Frank Welker | narrated = Ted Knight | theme_music_composer = Leonard Rosenman | opentheme = | endtheme = | composer = Leonard Rosenman Will Schaefer Alexander Courage Bernard Herrmann John Barry Morton Stevens | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = | num_episodes = 16 | list_episodes = | company = Hanna-Barbera Productions National Periodical Publications American Zoetrope | distributor = Taft Broadcasting (former) Warner Bros. Television Distribution (current) | executive_producer = William Hanna Joseph Barbera Steven Spielberg Francis Ford Coppola | producer = Iwao Takamoto | editor = | location = | cinematography = | camera = | runtime = 60 minutes (including commercials) | network = ABC | picture_format = | audio_format = Mono | first_run = | first_aired = September 8, 1973 | last_aired = December 22, 1973 | preceded_by = | followed_by = The All-New Super Friends Hour | related = | website = | production_website = }} Superfriends is a 1973 animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera, American Zoetrope and National Periodical Publications. It is based on the Justice League comic books, and is the first incarnation of the Super Friends series. Main characters Super Friends first aired on ABC on September 8, 1973,http://members.aol.com/SprFriends/chronology.htm#superfriends73-74 featuring the well known DC characters Superman, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. Superman, Batman and Aquaman had each previously appeared in their own animated series produced by Filmation, and voice talent from these prior programs was brought over to work on the new show. Shortly before the Super Friends series was developed, Superman and Wonder Woman also guest-starred in two episodes of The Brady Kids, while Batman and Robin appeared in two episodes of The New Scooby-Doo Movies. In addition to the superheroes, a trio of sidekicks was introduced, each of whom were new characters not drawn from the comic books: Wendy Harris (voiced by Sherri Alberoni), Marvin White (voiced by Frank Welker), and Wonderdog, none of whom had any special abilities (save Wonderdog’s unexplained ability to reason and “talk”). Wendy and Marvin were depicted as detectives and/or superheroes in training. Format and episode formula Each episode would begin with the heroes responding to an emergency detected by the massive TroubAlert computer that was situated within the Hall of Justice which served as the headquarters of the team. Colonel Wilcox, a U.S. Army official, was a recurring character who would work as a government liaison to the Super Friends during emergencies. As such conflicts are often ultimately resolved with the antagonists persuaded to adapt more reasonable methods to achieve their aims with the assistance of the heroes. Natural disasters triggered by human (or alien) activity were often shown, and environmental themes featured strongly in the program. Guest stars Some guest stars from the broader Justice League were featured during this season including the Flash, Plastic Man, and Green Arrow. Plastic Man made his animated debut in a cameo appearance in the episode "Professor Goodfellow’s G.E.E.C." voiced by Norman Alden. Superman calls him in to extract a mouse from a computer system. Green Arrow appeared in the episode "Gulliver's Gigantic Goof" and was voiced by Norman Alden. He was referred to as a "Staunch member of the Justice League of America." Episodes Cast * Sherry Alberoni - Wendy, Polly Lean (in "The Fantastic Frerps"), Museum Patron (in "The Planet-Splitter") * Norman Alden - Astronaut (in "Gulliver's Gigantic Goof"), Pilot (in "Gulliver's Gigantic Goof"), Guard (in "The Planet-Splitter"), Joe (in "The Power Pirate"), King Plasto (in "The Fantastic Frerps") * Christopher Daniel Barnes - Green Arrow (in "Gulliver's Gigantic Goof") * Charles Bronson - Plastic Man (in "Professor Goodfellow's G.E.E.C") * Veronica Cartwright - Martha Kent (in "The Planet-Splitter"), Lara (in "The Planet-Splitter") * Danny Dark - Train Engineer (in "The Power Pirate"), Speaker (in "The Power Pirate") * Faye Dunaway - Wonder Woman, * Harrison Ford - Superman, Android Superman (in "The Androids") * Shannon Farnon - Mrs. Caldwalader (in "The Planet-Splitter"), Woman (in "The Baffles Puzzle") * Dennis Hopper - Sir Cedric Cedric (in "The Power Pirate"), King Plasto (in "The Fantastic Frerps") * Casey Kasem - Colonel (in "Professor Goodfellow's G.E.E.C."), Professor Von Noalot (in "Too Hot to Handle"), Twisty (in "The Balloon People"), Mike Rosecope (in "The Fantastic Frerps"), Mac M (in "Menace of the White Dwarf"), Guard (in "The Planet-Splitter"), Young Alien (in "The Watermen"), TV News Reporter (in "The Power Pirate") * Ted Knight - Narrator, Captain (in "The Power Pirate"), Kolbar (in "Too Hot to Handle"), Mr. Singh (in "Too Hot to Handle") * Malcolm McDowell - Robin, Professor Baffles/ Mr. Mergen (in "The Baffles Puzzle"), Von Knowalot (in "Too Hot to Handle") * Sam Neil - Aquaman, Dr. Hiram Gulliver (in "Gulliver's Gigantic Goof") * Judd Nelson - The Flash (in "Too Hot to Handle"), Power Pirate/Anthro (in "The Power Pirate") * Donald Pleasence - Jor-El (in "The Planet-Splitter"), Professor Goodfellow (in "Professor Goodfellow's G.E.E.C.") * Olan Soule - Batman, Jonathan Kent (in "The Planet-Splitter"), Dave (in "The Power Pirate"), First Mate (in "The Power Pirate"), Farmer (in "Too Hot to Handle"), Man (in "Too Hot to Handle") * John Stephenson - Colonel Wilcox, Alien (in "The Power Pirate"), Mr. Huggins (in "Professor Goodfellow's G.E.E.C"), Grunk (in "The Balloon People"), Security Chief (in "The Baffles Puzzle"), Lupis (in "Too Hot to Handle") * Patrick Troughton - Pvt. Smith (in "Gulliver's Gigantic Goof"), Wilbur (in "The Planet-Splitter"), Jack (in "The Power Pirate") * Frank Welker - Marvin, Wonder Dog, Mr. Darby (in "The Baffles Puzzles"), Android Wonder Dog (in "The Androids"), Mr. Huggins (in "Professor Goodfellow's G.E.E.C."), Loco (in "The Androids"), Styro (in "The Fantastic Frerps"), Creature (in "The Mysterious Moles"), Igor (in "Gulliver's Gigantic Goof"), Holo (in "The Watermen"), Bill (in "The Power Pirate") Cancellation This first run of Super Friends, consisting of sixteen one-hour episodes that were rerun several times, concluded on August 24, 1974. At this point, the series was cancelled and did not appear on the fall lineup for 1974. DVD release Warner Home Video (via Hanna-Barbera Productions, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment) released Super Friends! - Season One, Volume One on DVD in Region 1 on January 5, 2010. Volume One was a 2 disc set of the first eight episodes of the series at a retail price of $26.99. the Season One, Volume One set of the original 1973 series of Super Friends was presented in its original, uncut hour-long version, just as they originally aired on ABC. On July 20, 2010 they released Volume Two which was also a 2 disc set and contained the remaining eight episodes of the series. Episodes References External links *Super Friends at Big Cartoon DataBase * * Category:1973 American television series debuts Category:1973 American television series endings Category:1970s American animated television series Category:1970s American science fiction television series Category:American Broadcasting Company network shows Category:Super Friends Category:Animated Batman television series Category:Animated Justice League television series Category:Animated Superman television series Category:Wonder Woman in other media Category:Television series by Hanna-Barbera Category:American children's animated action television series Category:American children's animated adventure television series Category:American children's animated science fantasy television series Category:Animated television programs based on DC Comics Category:Television series scored by John Barry (composer) Category:Television series scored by Alexander Courage Category:Television series scored by Morton Stevens Category:Television series scored by Bernard Herrmann Category:Television series scored by Leonard Rosenman Category:Films produced by Steven Spielberg Category:Films produced by Francis Ford Coppola